Television Ratings

Rating Wars

In 2006 the digital switchover occurred where analog television broadcasting is converted to and replaced by digital television. Before this switch over and digital television channels  there were only up to five channels. After the digital switchover and there was no terrestrial analogue television being broadcast, freeview is now that only way terrestrial TV gets delivered. Freeview is a television service which broadcasts over 60 channels,  26 digital radio channels, 4, HD channels and 6 text services.

With the huge increase of all these new free-to-air channels, plus popularity increase of pay-tv satellite broadcasting such as SKY there are a huge number of channels available, this makes it harder for broadcasters such as BBC and ITV to maintain a mass audiences as now its becoming more competitive than ever to attract more audiences in different ways and stay profitable. As the two channels are competing for the same element, they are sometimes seen to battle against each other. One of the most popular conflict is the ratings war between The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing which are two completely different talent show, but every weekend the shows battle against each other to receive the highest ratings.

Effects of on-demand services 

There are many television on demand and catch up services such as, 4oD, BBC inlayer, Demand 5, ITV player and Sky Go. These are internet services allowing the audience to access programmes through the internet. We now live in a society where people want to be able to watch what they want, where they want, when they want, and services like these do exactly that. The problem with having a fragment audience is that it makes it much difficult to measure the overall audience, and clearly understand which programme is most successful.

Effects of streaming on line in terms of censorship

Many online services try and to protect young people from seeing inappropriate material online, like the fact that you have to fill in your age before viewing over rated material, but many young people under the required age just fill in a fake age, this is an example of why protecting young people from certain material is extreamly difficult. Many services online now require you to prove your age through your email, which is difficlut for people to get pass and lie, therefore this process would be more effective. Programming  online services like 4oD are blocked by a pin, which again is a good way from prevented young people from seeing certain things, but isnt secure as it won’t be hard to get hold of the pin.

Quality and Standards

Quality and Standard is a term critics and broadcasting companies use to describe a television programme that they argue is of a high quality. In 1988 the campaign for Quality Television Ltd was set up in the UK. It was set up to promote more choice and quality for the viewers and create programmes that informs and educates for all types of people around the UK.

Geordie Shaw is a  british reality television series broadcast on MTV.  Many people believe that the show is of low quality and is dumbing down audiences. They find that the series is just a bunch of young adults going out drinking and having sex every night. The programme has a warning that states ‘contains strong language, sexual scenes and references from the outset throughout,’ nevertheless people still believe that shows like this shouldn’t be broadcast on TV. In my opinion Geordie Shaw does not count as quality television as al it includes is endless drinking, bad behaviour, searing and fighting.  The show offers over the top stereotypical characterisation of people from the Tyneside region North East England and it fails inform or educate audiences.

Between 2008 and 2012 the digital switchover occurred, this was when TV’s are converted to digital, as the old analogue system was switched off. This upgrade allowed extra channels to be broadcasted, it also allowed subscription channels, better quality pictures and more on-screen listening’s and interactivity. Although with a lot more channels, TV companies had to produce a lot more programmes that cost less to make. Because of this ,there are many programmes that don’t meet the quality and standards demand.